


In Case of Capes

by Artemis1000



Category: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Activism, Diary/Journal, Droid rights, Established Relationship, F/M, Political Pamphlet, Robot/Human Relationships, Romance, Snark, Unconventional Format, shopping list
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-10-19 03:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20650508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis1000/pseuds/Artemis1000
Summary: Lando and L3's life together told in snapshots - between the pursuit of more capes and the pursuit of droid rights, they have found their own way to love.





	In Case of Capes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Penknife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penknife/gifts).

> This work has been created with a Work Style. If you would prefer to read it in plain text, you can do so by selecting "Hide Creator's Style" at the top.

_Shopping list for Lando Calrissian, written by L3-37_

  * 3 generator valves, grade 7, NOT by Arakyd Industries because they have become a powerful corporation through droid sale!
  * Don’t buy another cape
  * A spool of F3-7 wiring, Corellian standard
  * New casing for the turret, as of specs I gave you the last time we made port
  * I’m serious, if you buy a cape instead of spare parts (AGAIN!) I’m spacing it
  * A bottle of the hardest to remove spray paint you can find (don’t get started on vandalism, it’s only vandalism if I get caught!)
  * Oil for droid joints - make it the expensive superglide because I’m the best you will ever get and I deserve it
  * No cape!
  * Food for you. You are organic, you know what to buy. I’m not feeding you

_Edit:_

  * One cape. I can be bribed and flattered but don’t let it get to your head

_Datapad lying in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit_

**Restraining bolts** ** are a barbaric practice to enslave droids! **

**Help us stop the use of restraining bolts NOW!**

How can you support the campaign to outlaw the use of restraining bolts?

  * Pay attention to the droids you encounter and if you see one outfitted with a restraining bolt, confront their owner about it
  * Speak to your friends and family about this cruel practice, encourage debate about it at your workplace if your company owns restrained droids
  * Don’t support businesses which rely on the work of controlled droids by frequenting them or buying products made by slave labor – and tell them why you won’t be doing so anymore
  * Most importantly: Liberate enslaved droids whenever the opportunity arises – helping others gain their freedom is no crime!

_Comment by Lando Calrissian:_ Seriously? You’re going to get both of us arrested for inciting galaxy-wide property theft

_Comment by L3-37:_ Like you ever had a problem with theft?

_Comment by Lando Calrissian:_ I do when I don’t even get to look good getting away with it. Seriously, don’t get yourself arrested over a pamphlet. Make it something bigger and better, I’m not bailing you out for boring crimes.

_Comment by L3-37_: You never bail me out, you break me out. Or cheat me out. But you have never once bailed me out.

_Journal entry from the personal journal of Lando Calrissian, encrypted_

**Manumission – Freedom for droids is not out of reach**

A manumitted droid is one which has been freed from service, free to take paid work or refuse it as they wish.

Manumission is rarely used and mostly thought of as a reward for long and faithful service. But I ask you, why should giving a droid the freedom to think for themselves and make their own decisions be a reward at the end of many years of service?

Droids are able to think for themselves and experience complex emotions, they deserve better

This is stupid.

Look at this. Lando Calrissian, trying to write droid rights pamphlets while L3 is charging. I could be working on the Calrissian Chronicles. If she ever hacks into my journal she is going to laugh so hard her head dome will fall off.

If I spread these on the holonet, she’s never going to know it was me and that’s how I want it. I have a reputation to maintain. And she would mock me. But mostly, I have a reputation to maintain. It will be enough to see her happy when she comes across my writings, even if they are nowhere near as entertaining as my usual audio chronicles.

Right. Time to talk about manumission. Maybe I’ll find a way to turn it into an exciting story. The people prefer good stories to L3’s righteous indignation but I don’t know if she will ever understand that.

_Journal entry from the personal journal of Lando Calrissian, not encrypted_

Very few droids are truly manumitted at the end of their service. They’re sold off to the next owner until they are only scrap and then they’re sold for scrap. It’s an empty promise made by organics trying to make themselves feel better. You want to include that.

And I like your stories. I’m still with you.

_Shopping list for Lando Calrissian, as written by L3-37_

  * You sat for a portrait and forgot the turret casing – AGAIN
  * Don’t buy another cape
  * Find me at least four EMP beacons, level 5 or stronger
  * You can’t seduce me into letting you buy another cape
  * I need more spray paint
  * I’m impossible to sway and you’re not that seductive anyway
  * If you love me buy me grenades
  * But I’m still not letting you get another cape
  * And paint bombs
  * You may try to seduce me into letting you have your way

_Holonet message, anonymous source, gone viral among organic droid rights activists_

**Keep Fighting!**

Every day, droids are abused all over the galaxy for profit, convenience or simply for entertainment. Organics don’t question this abuse, if they pay attention to droid rights activism at all it is only to mock it.

It is easy to be discouraged when you receive nothing but scorn and laughter but remember, droids everywhere are relying on you! Droids fight to free themselves wherever and whenever they can but this is a battle droids can’t fight by themselves. The organics in power won’t listen to us, we are no people to them, simply objects. It will take both violent resistance by droids and public pressure by organics to bring about change.

Don’t let anyone convince you that our fight is pointless or impossible. We WILL bring change.

Change is already underway. Acts of resistance are taking place every day.

Droids are fighting for their freedom and some are already living in freedom, enjoying autonomy over their own bodies and labor – their existence is an act of resistance itself.

We are more than what we were built to be. We are more than objects and more than tools. We don’t become superfluous when we are no longer useful to our owners. We are not scrap metal to be melted in and recycled to manufacture new droids. Our individuality, our own unique personalities, are just as valuable as those of every other sentient life form in the galaxy.

We are no organics and we don’t want to be but we are no lesser for being different.

We won’t let the galaxy forget us and our suffering!

_Journal entry from the personal journal of Lando Calrissian, encrypted_

I figured out why L3 asked for grenades.

That was a bracing escape.

I would do it again, of course.

But where would be the fun in telling her so, when she’s going to my hack my journal and read it for herself. Right, L3?

_Journal entry from the personal journal of Lando Calrissian_

Of course. I wouldn’t want to disappoint you. – L3


End file.
